iPod Touch (2nd Gen) 3.0 update £5.99 ?!?!?

[BEN_UK]

Hello,

Just plugged in my ipod touch to get the 3.0 update and it wants to charge me £5.99

I thought it was free ?

Anyone explain ?

Thanks Ben

 

[JAMAL]

Theres a law in the USA that states they have to charge for it or something

 

[James24]

it is free for the iphone not the ipod touch.

They charged for 2.0 as well.

The iphone is inherently more expensive and so gets free updates or so the reasoning goes.

 

[jamief]

Its nothing to do with the phone being more expensive. It is an accounting law to do with having a contract and service etc. The iPod Touch has no contract so updates must be charged for.

 

[BEN_UK]

Fair enough

Cheers lads.

Is it worth £5.99 though ??

 

[Feek]

It's nothing down to the inherent cost, it's US auditing laws (ever heard of Sarbanes-Oxley?) which require that additional features must be paid for. Because iPhones by definition have an ongoing cost it means that they don't have to charge for the updates but the iPod Touch doesn't have any ongoing cost so they have to charge for the additional features.

This happens every time there's an update, google search iPod Touch and Sarbanes-Oxley for a more detailed explanation.

 

[Kainz]

Fair enough

Cheers lads.

Is it worth £5.99 though ??

http://www.ismashphone.com/2009/06/how_to_use_best_40_features_of_iphone_3.html

You need to ask yourself if those features matter to you, depending on how heavily you use the touch as a pda device.

 

[Tunney]

It's nothing down to the inherent cost, it's US auditing laws (ever heard of Sarbanes-Oxley?) which require that additional features must be paid for. Because iPhones by definition have an ongoing cost it means that they don't have to charge for the updates but the iPod Touch doesn't have any ongoing cost so they have to charge for the additional features.

This happens every time there's an update, google search iPod Touch and Sarbanes-Oxley for a more detailed explanation.

I wonder what the rationale behind charging for iPod touch updates is when other devices like the Apple TV and iPod classic get free updates.

Sounds like bad accounting to me.

 

[Feek]

I wonder what the rationale behind charging for iPod touch updates is when other devices like the Apple TV and iPod classic get free updates.

Sounds like bad accounting to me.

I tend to point out this link each time the subject is raised, the point you make is specifically addressed thus:

Apple has gotten around this for the iPhone and AppleTV, by accounting for their payments over the course of 24 months.

and summed up nicely:

But in the end, it really comes down to what you bought in the device. You bought the device for $300 or $400, and knew what it would do. Apple has now given you the option of upgrading your device to do a lot more, for only $20. You don’t have to do it.

I always upgraded my iPod Touch when I had one, it seemed like a no-brainer to me.

 

[gameover]

from the link feek posted

It’s the law. Unfortunately, there is a horrible little law called Sarbanes-Oxley, that legally doesn’t allow you to add features to products that you have already been paid for.

bit of a stupid law imo, especially for software...

that mean that americans had to pay for software updates like windows service packs? xp sp1 added a range of security features IIRC??

 

[Tunney]

I tend to point out this link each time the subject is raised, the point you make is specifically addressed thus:

But that doesn't explain why Apple accounted for the Apple TV over 24 months and not the iPod touch. They both have the potential for future revenue (music/tv/movies/apps) so it makes no sense.

 

[allosunshine]

Hello,

Just plugged in my ipod touch to get the 3.0 update and it wants to charge me £5.99

I thought it was free ?

Anyone explain ?

Thanks Ben

Have a look here. Bit more specific to the iPod Touch as to what 3.0 offers.